Lab Rats
by Caisu
Summary: The animal rights protestors have finally got through to the government, but with testing on animals now illegal, what to test on? Humans of course, and that's where my unlucky victims come in! &huggles characters
1. The Test Subject

Ok, **another** of my ficcies! I'm really enjoying this! All you reviewers are the best! Hope you enjoy!

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**Lab Rats**

He threw his head back again, tears streaming his pale face, as the cream burned deeper. How he was in this situation he had no idea, but he knew it was the government's fault, with their stupid 'lets save the animals and test on humans instead' idea.

"Does that hurt?" A researcher said, holding up a pen above his clipboard ready to write his reply. The boy tied to the dentist type chair whimpered and nodded; not believing that question had to be asked.

"What does it feel like? A burning, tingling sensation?"

"It just hurts! Please! Please get it off me! Why are you doing this to me?!" The boy begged, twisting in his bonds and sobbing uncontrollably.

"When you tell me what it feels like, I'll let you up and into the washroom." Was the irritable reply.

"It feels like there's a match right by my skin. It just hurts so much! Please!"

"Very well Seven zero double five, you may go." The man pressed a small button on the side of the chair and the boy instantly jumped up, hair flying in all directions as he scrambled for the small room on the other side of the testing room he was in.

Once inside he grabbed the wash-towel and, after wetting it, began to wipe the new hair removal cream off his upper thigh, then off the lower area of his leg where the other test patch was. His skin was so sensitive he was the perfect for testing these new 'for sensitive skin' products, but they were very rarely correct the first time. Meaning him and the other test subjects had a very painful time doing their 'duty'.

"Any closer this time?" A small, spiky haired boy asked as the other boy was shoved back in the small cage they lived in. The dimensions were about 75cm by 75cm, meaning there was very little room for the two occupants of each cell to move around. A lot of fights broke out in the cramped conditions, but these two boys got on and thought there were enough casualties without them killing, or getting killed by, their cell mate.

"No. Just as bad, if not worse."

"Owch! Are you alright?"

"I will be, when we get out of here."

"You know the only way we're leaving here is with the trash. When they've finished and dealt with us."

"There's gotta be another way out."

"Leave it Ryou, dun even dream. We're here 'til we die, and you know it."

"But Yugi! How can you just accept this?! You can't prefer it!"

"I don't, don't get me wrong, I hate it here, if I could leave I would, but I know I can't, so I just accept that fact."

"Hey! Don't start fighting in there! Or I'll be forced to punish you!" the guard yelled, banging on the bars of the door with his baton, pushing the little button that sent an electric shock down it. The electricity flowed down the baton and the metal bars; reaching Yugi's back wich was pressed up against the bars, making the small teen yelp and Ryou growl.

"You can't do that! You can't do any of this! If it ever got out to the public you would all be so dead! We are human beings! Just the same as you! Why do you still treat us like dirt?!"

"Can and just did, the reason this can happen is that you are the scum of society, no one missed you did they? No one cares about you, so no one will ever tell the public. The boss is very careful whom he chooses for this project, he'll never pick anyone who'll be missed. Hence why you two squirts are here."

Ryou growled again as the guard walked away, hatred filling his veins, and then he heard a door slam somewhere, a new victim had entered the nightmare.


	2. The New Subject

Heyas! Glad I got such a great response so quickly!

Pharaoh Star Yami: Not yet, Might put him in though. You know you're practically writeing 'Banned!' for me! Thank you sooo much cause I'd have a major block otherwise!

kiya: Why would I cut it there? I don't really do one-shots, I acctually find it really hard to put a story in one chapter.

AnimePunk5243: &Laughs& To tell you the truth, I don't know, I don't know! I'm not even sure if they're getting out!

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"Get your fucking hands off me! What the hell do you think you're doing?! Hey! Hey, don't you dare walk away! Let me out of here you fucking basted!"

"This is going to be a long night." Ryou muttered, slouching against the bars of the cage and resting his head on his knees. Trying to drift off into some sort of sleep while the newcomer rattled the bars of his cell and yelled to be let out, demanding a representative and to see the boss of this place; and of course, everyone was ignoring him. Too many newcomers acted like this for anyone to care any more. Ryou, who had been a shy, quiet boy when he had been brought in, now resented everything, being more than prone to yell at guards and rebel against everything in this place he could. Yugi on the other hand, had just given up. He 'knew' he was never getting out alive. But Ryou didn't buy that. He was leaving, and he was leaving alive! He was going to tell the world of this place and stop the un-human things that went on here. But most importantly, for him, he was going to save Yugi.

His tired brain began to think of more escape plans as he drifted off to sleep, most were ridiculous, but some might work, if he could bear to carry them out...

The occupants of D Section were awoken several times that night by the newcomer. Until at about 2:30am, an occupant of the cell next to him grabbed the guard's baton off him as he passed and thumped the newbie hard with it. Yelling at him that all he was achieving was pissing everyone off, and was not getting out that way, before handing the baton back and curling up to sleep.

At 6:30am another guard came in, carrying the mornings meal, which consisted of a loaf of bread and some thin gruel per cell. Most of the people there just ate it and were thankful that they were at least fed, but not Ryou, hunger fasts were one of his specialties. He would stop eating to the point where he would become so ill the guards took pity on him and sent him to the hospital wing. Each time vowing that it was the last time they would do him this favor, but of course, they kept doing it, so Ryou kept taking advantage. Once in the hospital wing, he would eat his fill of proper food, then try and take advantage of the wing's low security, but it hadn't worked yet.

"Eight three eight seven, come with me." A scientist said, gesturing to a guard to let the newbie out of his cell and make sure he followed.

"And... Seven zero double five and Seven zero five six. You come to." Ryou and Yugi got to their feet, Ryou glaring at the guard as he was shoved harshly after Professor Kinlin.

"Sit." The Professor said as they entered the testing lab. Yugi did immediately, keeping his head down, while Ryou just stood and glared and he newbie growled and said, in a slightly raised voice,

"Where the hell am I and why do I have to do what you say?!"

"Just do it." Yugi muttered, making a pang of fury and sadness flow through Ryou. Although the two weren't a couple, they both loved and cherished each other dearly, but neither would say, even though they had a pretty good idea the other felt the same. The albino then knelt down behind Yugi and hugged him slightly, then looked up at the professor again, defiance shining in his eyes.

"Seven zero double five, do I have to punish you?" Professor Kinlin said exasperatedly as Ryou glared at him.

"You told me to sit, so I am, you didn't say where. And I have a name you know, Ryou, unless you're too stupid to remember that."

"Fine then, all sit on a different seat."

Ryou got up and walked to the chair that was propped up by the desk for the scientists and sat down, crossing his legs with a cocky smirk on his face, his eyes showing he was enjoying messing this professor around.

The newbie giggled slightly, he was slowly working out where he was and what was happening, heck, this room was enough of a give-away, and he admired this little white haired boy for being so... So... So the way he was. But then again, maybe he just hadn't been here so long. That theory was quickly disposed of with the professor's next words,

"Seven zero double five, you have been with us now for," He checked his notepad,

"Three years now, did you know that?"

Ryou shook his head

"And during that time you have been nothing but a complete nuisance, did you know that? And did you know that if you keep this up, you'll end up in E section, then F Section, and if you still continue to be a problem, you will be disposed of."

"Uh huh." Ryou mumbled, studying a particularly red and sore patch on his forearm.

"Seven zero double five! Are you even listening to me?!"

"Huh? Sorry, what was that? I wasn't listening!" Ryou smirked, laughter in hi eye as he glanced t his audience. Yugi was giving him warning and pitying looks, telling him in no uncertain terms to just lay off and do as he was told. While the other boy was stuffing his fist in his mouth, trying his hardest not to laugh his head off.

"You do know what they test in F Section don't you? You do know what conditions the test subjects are kept in? They live like less than animals. And the department tests creams and lotions for the genital areas, they also research cancer cures."

That worried Ryou slightly, it would be all too easy for them to put him in there, and even though he didn't like where he was now, at least he was with Yugi. That made up his mind.

"If I do what you say, will you shut up?" Ryou growled, hating the fact he was now forced to be nothing more than a lad rat. He got called a rat because of his hair enough without acting like one to.

The scientist nodded, and Ryou grudgingly stomped over to a spare chair next to Yugi and sat stiffly in it, all the while glaring. Yugi smiled slightly at him and reached for his hand, giving it a small squeeze and mouthing; 'It's ok, you're not being weak. You're being brave letting them do this. I lo..." But his face suddenly clenched in pain, and he looked away from Ryou, tears springing from his eyes as he gasped for breath and tried not to yell.

Ryou felt something slightly oily rubbed over his whole left hand. It didn't feel **that** bad, just sort of tingled, but it soon started to feel like tiny needles were being pushed into his skin, steadily growing in size 'til it felt like his hand was being ripped apart.

He gasped, tilting his head forward onto his chest and letting his silvery bangs cover his face, he didn't want to let anyone see him being the weak little runt they all thought he was. 'Thought' being the operative word, he was **not** a weak little runt! He would get out of here and stop this evil! And once he was free, and Yugi to, they could find a nice house together and settle down to a normal life. And maybe, maybe one day Ryou would pluck up the courage to tell the beautiful little boy how much he meant to him.


	3. Escape Plans

Pharaoh Star Yami: Yup, it's dun really change the story who it is, so I might not say.

AnimePunk5243: I dunno what took me so long, but this time it was the stupid net connection

Annie: Not Mokie, and they're like, 16.

DojomistressAmbyChan: Glad you're ok with all the setup, it's actually quite a hard fic to write, whatever people may think, but I have chapters backed up and waiting to be posted!

Elizabeth Aiken: Believe it or not, I did update asap here...

"Gah, one of these days I'm going to kill someone!" Ryou glared, pacing up ad down, glaring at everything in sight. But no one was listening, Yugi was in one of the labs, and no one else listened to his rants.

"Oh, Yugi. One of these days I'm going to save you, then we'll both be free." He muttered, grabbing the bars and leaning against them, staring up at the clock, then at the patrolling guard, then at the doorway to the lab he knew Yugi was in.

"Shut the hell up will you?! Everyone knows there's no way out of here, so stop kidding yourself." A platinum-blonde boy in the cell next door said not even bothering to open his eyes or turn around to look at Ryou.

"I'm not kidding myself! I've come so close before! I can go all the way! I will get out!"

"Keep dreaming, rat." Another boy muttered from the cell on his other side.

"I am not a rat and I am not dreaming!"

It was then that Ryou spotted the guard walking past, and put his newest plan into action. He had managed to get his hands on a thin, medium length pole with a small hook at the end. And guess which totally original plan he'd come up with? 'Borrow' the guard's keys. Then, that night, he'd slip the small amount of heroin he'd got off the section's black market into his gruel. He knew the guards ate any leftovers at the beginning of their night shift, he also knew that heroin, if consumed and not injected, could be fatal, not that he had enough for it to have that affect, it would just put this guard in hospital for a while.

As the guard walked past his cell, he sipped the rod out and hooked the keys neatly onto the end of it. He then gently eased them off the hook on the guard's belt and whipped them back into his hand. The guard didn't notice a thing.

He once again thanked the guard that had the Monday night shift. He was on a re-hab. program, which was failing; he was still a drug dealer. Ryou would usually disapprove, but on this occasion, he had bought a small amount of heroin in exchange for an old pendant he had bought just before being caught by the government. It didn't mean anything to him, but the guard had wanted it, so he'd got himself a deal.

Ryou was snapped out of his daydream as a scientist unlocked his cell and shoved Yugi in, making the obviously shaken boy collapse in Ryou's arms.

"What did they do?" Ryou whispered to the small boy now crying into his shoulder.

Yugi shook his head, indicating he didn't want to talk about it, so Ryou didn't push him any further. He knew one of the scientists in here today was a perv and had a thing for small boys, and of course, no one cared what anyone did, as long as no one died before they were done with.

"We're getting out of here tonight Yugi. Just think, a place of our own and no one to trouble us. Just each other, just us two, right?" Yugi nodded both of them ignoring the comment made by the cellmate of the platinum blonde to their left.

Night finally fell, the guards changed shift, and Ryou was glad he'd not been called on today. So him and Yugi were curled up together, talking quietly about the sort of house they wanted the sort of car, and what it would be like to be free, at last.

Ryou had followed his plan, and it had gone without a hitch. The guard had finished his gruel, so now Ryou was just waiting for the drug to knock him out. The Monday guard had said this was an especially strong batch, so it should do the business pretty soon.

The guard suddenly clutched at his head as he stood up, then he swayed, and collapsed back against he wall.

"Now's our chance!" Ryou whispered, slipping his small hands through the bars of his cell and opening the lock, him and Yugi tentatively stepping out of their cell and glancing up and down the area. Either direction looked the same. But judging by the fact that the new boy had come in from the right - that was the exit. So off, they set, treading carefully and listening for the tiniest noise.

An iron door loomed ahead of them in the moonlit corridor at the end of D section, but as Ryou put his hand on the handle, a sudden thrill surged through him. He froze a few seconds, but when he felt Yugi's hand gently, but reassuringly clasp his own he started trying keys to open the door.

After when felt like hours, where his every move and every jingle of the keys sounded to him and Yugi like a hundred bombs going off, Ryou finally found the right key, and the lock clicked open. However, even though the lock was open, the door was still closed, and it was a heavy metal, and creaked. The two looked at each other, the gentle, frightened look in Yugi's eyes giving Ryou new strength and courage, reminding him why he was doing this.

The albino put his hand on the handle again, and gently twisted it. Eventually, he felt the little latch draw back, and pulled the door open just enough for him and Yugi to get through. Luckily it didn't creak that much really, but the two froze at the slight squeak, but, upon being sure there was no one coming, the set off again.

"Where are we Ryou?" Yugi whispered, clinging to the albino's arm.

"E Section, then we have to go through F, then we're in the hospital wing, then there's some windows we can climb out of."

"But won't there be guards in each of the sections?"

Ryou paused and thought. There were guards. He hadn't thought of that...

"We'll just have to be quick through here."

"But we'll have to pass them Ryou! Let's just go back! Please!"

"No. We're getting out of here Yugi, and I don't care how."

"Well, how about out of that window then?" Yugi said after looking around, pointing to a window that'd been left ajar. Ryou looked, and couldn't believe he hadn't realized that before. He'd been thinking of getting out the way he knew, which he now knew was the harder way.

"Yugi, you're a genius!" Ryou exclaimed, hugging his friend tightly before running over to the window, dragging the other boy after him.

"Quick, you go first, I'll follow, once you're out just go. Don't wait for me, I'll be right behind you." Ryou said, dropping a quick, shy kiss onto Yugi soft cheek, before bending down and lacing his fingers ready to help the other out.

Yugi however was stood there in shock, his fingers lightly touched on his cheek where Ryou had just kissed him.

"Why...?" He whispered, looking down to his friend.

"Because I really care about you Yugi, now come on, hurry up and go! That guard's gonna be up here any second!" Ryou hissed, looking pleadingly to the boy above him. If Yugi left it too much longer they wouldn't be able to get out! At least not together.

Much to Ryou's relief, one of the prisoners, for that's what they really were, decided to make a fuss, causing the guard to pause in his sleepy shuffle down the hall to shut him up.

That was all the time the two needed. Ryou quickly shoved Yugi out of the window, dropping out after him. They were now in a large courtyard, and around the outside were high walls higher than either of them could climb. They were stuck.


	4. The Beginings Of Escape

Thanks to anyone still with me! I've updated a lot of my fics today, thanks to threats arriving via review threatening me that people would stop reading my fics if I didn't update! I am trying desperately not to lose readers, but I know there's a limit to the amout of times I can mess you all around. I do love you all! Really! Don't stop reading because of stupid life that dun want m to update!

Replies!:

Pharaohs slave: I KNOW I KNOW I KNOW I KNOW! &Cries& &Points to bio& I'VE NOT BEEN ABLE TO LOG IN! I'm soooooo sorry! I know this is probs late, but I'm e-mailing you as soon as I've finished! In reply to your review before that one: ' &laughs lightly& Glad ya think so!

DojomistressAmbyChan: ...That was my original thought but I thought of something better! Enjoy!

Annie: Err... Thanks for reviewing! '

Pharaoh Star Yami: Well The new subject wasn't really a random person I've thought of a use for him &Laughs evilly&

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"Now what?" Yugi muttered, looking around them.

"What's that over there?" Ryou whispered, more to himself than Yugi as he stared at the thing that caught his eye. A darker area in the middle of the wall across the courtyard. A darker area like a shadow, but there was nothing to cause it...

"Come on." Ryou muttered, deciding to investigate. It was a better plan that staying under that window; that guard could come and see them any second.

"Who left this door open?" They heard the guard mutter, it was then Ryou realised their mistake. This was not good. That guard might check the D Section to make sure it was all ok, then he'd find the open, empty cell and the guard slumped against the wall, unconscious.

"Come on Yugi! We have to move!" Ryou exclaimed, maybe a little louder than was safe in their current situation. Alarms suddenly sounded from inside, this confused Ryou to the max, he'd never heard these before. They weren't because a test subject had escaped, no, these were different. Ryou looked around him. No smoke, not that he could see, so not a fire alarm. What else would they need alarms for?

"Ryou. What's happening? I'm scared." Yugi said shouted over the wailing sirens.

"I'm not sure Yugi, but let's just get going." Ryou said, Yugi nodding as the two ran across the courtyard; finally reaching the fence and the dark patch Ryou had spotted. This turned out to be exactly what they didn't need.

"Some sort of detonation trigger..." Ryou mused, looking over the cables. He knew a bit about bombs and the like from when he'd been forced to learn how to build, arm, detonate and disarm them for a living by his brother. As far as Ryou knew, Bakura had been killed in an accident months before he was captured; and Ryou really couldn't care less, he hated his brother; drunken, drug-dealing psycho that he was.

"Why is the cover down?" Yugi muttered, indicating the hatch that would usual cover the device.

"I... don't know." Ryou said, looking at the front of the cover.

"It looks like it was coded..." he concluded, running his fingers over the keypad on the front of the hatch.

"A coded bomb? On the site of a test lab? Why?" Yugi muttered in confusion, once again looking around.

"Shit..." Ryou suddenly muttered, staring at the device.

"What?"

"Whatever it's linked to, is gonna blow pretty soon." Ryou said, starting at a little timer he'd uncovered on the panel.

"What?! You mean it's been activated?! We have to get out of here then!"

"That's probably what the alarms are indicating. Clever. They're gonna blow up the labs and everyone in them. Things must be getting pretty bad politically for them to be driven to this..." Ryou mused, ignoring Yugi's outburst.

"Who cares about why?! The thing is, if you're right, this place is gonna go sky high with us in tow if we don't do something!" The smaller, spiky haired boy exclaimed, beginning to tug at Ryou's sleeve.

"Let go Yugi! Stop panicking! We have two choices, wait here and try to disarm it, or get the hell away and fast, leaving thousands of people like us to their deaths, completely unaware of what's about to happen or why." Ryou knew by saying that he wasn't giving Yugi a choice really; the boy would never kill thousands to save himself.

"...Can you disarm it?" Yugi said, watching his friend carefully.

"Would I have given that as an option if I couldn't?"

"Go on then." Yugi said, kneeling down behind Ryou and watching him.

"I've not seen a model like this in years." The albino mused, looking over the wires he'd exposed.

"Yugi, go find something sharp. I don't care what."

Yugi nodded and walked off, searching the ground for anything he could find that would cut wire.

He eventually found a bit of rock, picking it up he quickly ran his thumb over the edge, yelping slightly in surprise as it cut through his delicate skin with hardly and pressure applied. Quickly running back to Ryou, Yugi handed the stone over, watching as Ryou pulled his selected wire into a position where he could cut it, and paused.

"Yugi. Come stand behind me. Put your hands over mine. I need to feel you here." Ryou muttered, staring at the timer, 10 seconds left.

"Why?" Yugi frowned.

8 seconds.

"Because I need to know you'll be with me!"

6 seconds.

"But why?"

5 seconds.

"In case this goes wrong! I've only got one shot! If I mess this up we'll go sky high with this building, instantly! I can't do this without you."

2 seconds.

"What?! I thought you were sure!" Yugi exclaimed, doing as Ryou had asked all the same, needing the comfort of the other just as much.

1 second.

Closing his eyes, Ryou pulled the bit of stone sharply through the wire.

Case-chan: Haha! Evil cliffy!

Rea: You're mean!

Loon: How can you do that to the readers!?

Readers: &General noises and gestures of agreement&

Keisha: Well at least they'll all review. &Pointed look at readers&

Case-chan: That was the point anyway.

Keisha: But I must admit, even for you, that was an evil place to leave it.

Case-chan: Oh whatever. TV shows and comics leave cliffies like that!

Loon: But this is a fic! Not a TV show or comic!

Rea: You **can't** leave it there!

Case-chan: Can and have. Byez!

Keisha: Review or she won't update for ages again, she's evil like that.

Case-chan: &Evil grin&


	5. 

Click.

Silence.

Yugi slowly cracked one eye open. The sirens had stopped, and his feet were still firmly on the ground, Ryou's back still pressed to his chest, his hands still covering the albino's.

"You did it..." the spiky haired boy whispered in shock. (A/N: Did you all seriously think I'd blow them up?! Lol! You people are far too easy to fool!)

"Wait a second." Ryou muttered, staying perfectly still. (A/N: And once again I may have fooled you!)

"What? It's not blown up." Yugi muttered. Ryou simply stayed perfectly still, counting silently to ten. If it still hadn't blown, they were safe.

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

Silence.

(A/N: Yup, fooled you! I wouldn't blow them up! &Huggles Ryou and Yugi close to her and kisses both on the cheek before letting them go&)

"We're safe." Ryou muttered, flopping back into Yugi's arms, both of them falling back onto the concrete ground for a few seconds, before Ryou stood up, holding out his hand to help his friend up to.

Yugi stood for a few seconds, just watching Ryou's doe-brown eyes, before he lunged for the albino, nuzzling into his shoulder.

"I though we were dead for sure! I didn't think I'd ever see you again! I... I..." Yugi sobbed, hugging onto Ryou tightly. Said boy gave a small smile, before wrapping Yugi in his arms, murmuring soft words to him to calm him down.

Once Yugi's sobs had turned to mere sniffles, Ryou let the spiky haired boy go and he took a few steps back.

"We still have to get out of here." The albino reminded him, looking around them once again.

"I know." Yugi muttered, also looking around.

"Over there! The gate's open! We can get out there! They left it open for the evacuation! Come on!" Yugi yelled excitedly, grabbing Ryou's arm and dragging him towards the iron gates that were now open just enough to admit the passing of the land rovers, which, seconds before, had been streaming through it. But now, quiet confusion reigned as the pair made it to their destination and crouched behind some piled up crates.

"What happened?"

"Why did the sirens stop?"

"Maybe they just broke..."

"No, they wouldn't, someone de-activated the bomb."

"But who?!"

"Two subjects escaped from D Section. I was just about to report it when the sirens sounded."

"What?!"

"If that rich bitch turns up and this place is still here he'll have our heads!"

"I know! But there's no other way to blow it up along with all the evidence if that bombs been disarmed!"

Ryou frowned. Who were they talking about? Who was president now? Was it even the president they were talking about?!

"Ryou..."

"Shush!" Ryou said quickly, not bothering to listen to Yugi, he needed to know more about the outside world now.

"I say we just get out of here! Leave this place abandoned!"

"We won't be able to get away from him quick enough!"

"But at least we'll have a chance! You know Kaiba won't think twice about killing the lot of us!"

"Kaiba...?" Ryou whispered in confusion, he knew the name from somewhere...

"Didn't he used to own that big gaming company? Looks like he's got a bigger name for himself now though." Yugi said, also listening intently now to what the 'officials' were saying.

"I say we have a go at fixing that bomb."

"I say we run!"

"I say we set the building on fire. Break the gas pipes then throw a lit lighter on it or something."

"Hey... that's not a bad idea you know..."

"Crap! He's here! Run!"

Instantly the hundreds of people gathered around talking scrambled away, climbing over each other, and trampling on each other in their haste to get into vehicles and escape.

Mere seconds later the place was deserted.

"I hope he's not as brutal as his step-father, and I hope he's better now than he was when we used to fight all the time. I only wanted to help him!" Yugi muttered, exclaiming the last part. Yugi had been brought in about a year after Ryou, so it was logical he knew a lot of things Ryou didn't; but it shocked him that Kaiba must've been in power less than a year, for Yugi had told him who was running for election the year her was bought in, so Kaiba could only have been appointed last, or was it this year? The subjects of this test centre had no way of knowing how many days had passed, they were lucky to have a clock, even if you did have to ask the guards whether it was daylight saving time or not, so you know if you had to add an hour to the time displayed.

A land rover pulled up then, and soon, a white-faced brunette ran through the gates, looking either way and quickly spotting Ryou and Yugi as they had just crawled out from behind the crates they were hiding behind.

"Where are they?!" The brunette yelled, grabbing Ryou by the collar of his faded, thread-bare shirt.

"Who?!" Ryou choked, trying to pull the brunette's fisted hands off his collar, he was sure he was going blue from lack of air.

"Joey! A blonde who was bought here a few days ago!"

Ryou frowned. Did Kaiba mean the guy that'd kept the whole section awake all night the night he'd been brought in, then been taken for testing with them?

"And Mokuba! My little brother! He's about your height and has black hair and grey eyes. I swear, heads will roll if either of them have been harmed!"

"Your brother's here to?" Yugi said quietly. He hadn't seen Mokuba in the time he'd been at the centre, but then he'd spent the whole time in D Section, which housed only a sixth of the subjects.

"Yugi? I wondered why you'd stopped pestering me to duel; you've been here the whole time?"

Yugi nodded,

"All two years."

"Have you seen my brother or Joey?" Kaiba said, dropping Ryou and looking to Yugi, tears welling silently in his sapphire eyes.

"I think Joey was bought to our section a few days ago, but I've not seen Mokuba." Ryou said, answering for Yugi.

"Where?! Take me to him!" Seto yelled, abandoning Yugi and returning to Ryou.

"Mr. Kaiba, I think I have to warn you of the conditions we're forced to live in." Yugi started, but the brunette cut across him with a glare, then looked back to Ryou, who quailed slightly under the expression on Seto's face.

"This way." Ryou said, beginning to walk back over to the window they'd come through.


	6. Almost There

Once they'd all climbed through the window, Seto complaining persistently about he method of entrance, while Ryou and Yugi explained that they couldn't just waltz in the front door, the three stood in the corridor leading to D Section. The door was still ajar where it'd been left, and the usual silence was replaced by the tormented scream, yells and begging of the people crying to get out; thinking they were going to be left to die. All three stood in silence for a second, before something Yugi and Ryou had become accustomed to, hit the brunette full force. The smell. It was actually quite funny to see the rich, powerful boy pulling his shirt collar up over his nose and gagging slightly. Yes, it smelt that bad. Well, think about it, you've got about six thousand people living in cramped conditions, hardly any toilets and no showers; of course it's gonna start to smell after a few weeks; and this building had been used for this purpose for about five years from what Ryou knew.

"You're not telling me people live here." Seto choked out.

"Yeah, you get used to the smell after a while."

"I don't plan on being here that long." The brunette replied to Ryou's statement. The albino shrugged and shoved the door to D Section fully open, gesturing the other two through. Once inside, Seto stared around, total shock at the conditions registering on his hansom face.

"I can't believe no one's ever done anything about this place..."

"No one's known it was here, not even the last president from the sketchy info I got off a guard." Ryou said, leading the way down the corridor, looking for the blonde's cage.

"Just to think that people live like this..."

"Exist. Exist, Kaiba, we didn't have a life to live, we exist here, we exist as numbers on a clipboard. That's all. What did you expect? The Ritz?" Ryou said scathingly, finally stopping at the newbie's cell.

"Is this him?" Ryou muttered; he was liking this boy less and less.

"Joey!" Was the answer Ryou got as the brunette shoved past him and grabbed the bars of the cage, staring down at the broken heap of a human curled on the floor. The blonde's hair, which had been almost golden when he arrived, was now a dirty, matted mop that hung over his eyes. Burns and rashes covered his legs, arms, and torso and human waste was beginning to cake to his lower half.

Yugi felt his heart clench slightly, he knew how the brunette was feeling now. When he'd first seen Ryou come back from testing he'd felt the same. It ripped you apart inside to see another human living like this, even more so one you loved dearly, heck, it hurt to see any creature existing in these conditions.

Ryou couldn't say he didn't sympathise with the brunette now, but he did think maybe the boy was over-reacting slightly, but then he had become hard to the conditions here, he didn't notice them now, and he never had really. Ryou had never told anyone what his life'd been like before the test centre, but there was a reason he wasn't overly influenced by the surroundings he was forced to pass his days in. The albino pulled himself out of his thoughts and dug the keys out of the pocket on his ripped jean shorts and flicked the lock on the door open, indicating the bathroom with a gesture as he opened it's door.

The blonde seemed to either be sleeping or unconscious as he was lifted easily by Seto and carried to the bathroom, where the brunette began to wash him off with a damp hand towel, muttering death threats to the people who had left his pup in this state.

After he was satisfied with the state of the boy in his arms, Seto turned back to his two guides.

"My brother." He said, his voice shaking slightly with anger and what Yugi interpreted as fear. Fear of what state his brother would be in.

"Well, I never saw him come through here, so if you're certain he's here, he must be in one of the lower sections." Ryou said, a small amount of fear also lacing his words now. He'd hoped he'd never have to look into those cells again – they held too many memories.

You see, the way it worked here, was that there were six sections, A,B,C,D,E, and F. Each housed 1,000 subjects and had it's own lab. Different things were tested in each section, and the conditions were graded. A was the best section, and you got there by basically behaving, or maybe even volunteering for more 'work'. Whereas F was the worst, you ended up there if you acted, well, like Ryou, who was hugely grateful for the fact that the section was full. Ryou didn't know much about what was tested where, but he knew D Section tested products for sensitive skin, another reason Ryou had stayed in the section the whole time he'd been there. While F section tested creams for the genital areas and researched cancer cures.

Now try to imagine this, if you will, I know you may not be able to fathom the cruelty involved, or why such things happen, but try all the same. You wake up one morning, curled up in your nice, warm bed, and maybe your mother calls you for breakfast or whatever you do normally when you wake up. Your life goes on as is normal, until you leave wherever you spend the day, work, school, or whatever. Once you round the corner, a hand is clamped over your mouth, and you feel a needle being roughly stabbed into your arm, leg, wrist, wherever the person can reach. Next thing you know, you wake up, and are told by someone you've never met in your life before, that you're in a human test centre. Later a scientist calls you; you go, only to have cancerous cells planted in your body. You know you don't have long to live. From that day forward, various things are tested, some work slightly, some are a waste of time. It feels like everything that happens to you is just an excuse to torture and humiliate you, until the day that the cancer takes it's toll. Your body is dumped with hundreds of others, and you are never heard of again. That was what happened in F section. If the scientists couldn't find a new cure to test on your growing cancer, they'd simply test something or other on you that burned your skin, made you sick, or just simply put you in agony for the next month, if you lived that long. That was the reality of F Section. Ryou was free of all emotion as he remembered his week-long stay there. He'd thankfully not been used for cancer research, but still, watching people die around him, smelling that stench of death, hearing the people there talk about it as though it didn't matter; Ryou could never purge those memories from his mind. Hearing death talked about as though it was a wonderful thing, he would never forget that, those inhumane conditions, and the attitudes of everyone there.

"Ryou?" Yugi whispered gently, resting his hand on the albino's shoulder. It was only then Ryou realised he was shaking.

"Are you ok?"

The albino shook himself and nodded.

"Just thinking too much." He replied, gesturing the pair to follow him.


	7. The City

Case-chan: Ahhh! Gomen! Gomen! Gomen! Bows repeatedly I am sooo sorry for not updating and not replying to reviews! I have been being so lazy recently! Cries Problems are hopefully sorted though... I should be updating more quickly now, and defiantly more after May when I'm done with exams. I'll do replies at the bottom, ok everyone? Replies to chapters four and five, and six but there aren't any for six so yeah.

Ryou paused with his hand on the door to F Section. He'd hoped never to see this place again, now he was entering willingly, well, almost. They hadn't found Mokuba in E Section, so now there was only one place left. F Section.

Pushing the door slowly open, Ryou braced himself for the sight he knew he would see. He felt Yugi's comforting hand on his shoulder, and relaxed ever so slightly. He knew he would never have got this far without the smaller boy that meant so much to him. The albino felt the rich teen behind him flinch away from the sight now presented in front of him; no one could really blame him, but it still made Ryou feel happier that the brunette was actually human, unlike he'd heard from some rumours off new inmates.

"Do you see him?" Ryou muttered, refusing to look anywhere but the floor by his left foot and the door frame; which he absentmindedly noticed was in need of painting. All the albino got in answer to his question was shoved out of the way as the young business man ran into the section; Ryou took that as a yes. "Here're the keys."

Seto caught them easily, and after a moment of jangling, a rusty door creaked open, then Kaiba was back with them, Joey still in his arms and his brother on his back, barely conscious and crying into the brunette's shoulder.

"Can we get out of here now?" He asked

"And leave all these people like this?"

"I'll send someone to sort this place out soon as we get to the car."

"Promise?"

The brunette nodded, jumping his brother a little higher on his back and shifting his grip on Joey. Ryou nodded finally and walked back towards the window, climbing out and helping Seto, before they made their way to the land rover by the gates.

"In you get; I'll give you both a lift back."

"You don't have to; we can just walk." Ryou smiled, "Right Yugi?"

"Not really Ryou... look..." Yugi was staring out through the crack in the gates at the baron landscape surrounding them. "You can't see anything for miles..."

And as Ryou looked, he could see it was quite true. Every direction you looked, all you could see was cracked, dry land, no vegetation in sight, and the sun was burning so brightly Ryou could feel himself beginning to burn. He took a tentative step forwards, still not believing what he saw, what was right in front of his eyes. Birds circled over head and as Ryou dropped to the dry earth, he heard the cry of some strange creature, running paws, and a gunshot.

The albino's head shot up at the last sound, and he stared all around, finally spotting the creature that'd been shot; a wolf-like beast, slightly bigger than a lion, sharp, pointed teeth showing it as a carnivore. It's brown fur was matted and covered in dust, it's starved appearance clear now to the albino as he went to examine it more closely.

"I wouldn't get much closer Ryou, those things are a breading ground for flees and lice, not to mention all the diseases you can catch from them. Come on, hurry up before we get caught by anything else; this world isn't safe outside now." Seto said matter-of-factly, strapping Joey and Mokuba safely into the back seats of his car, before going round to the boot and unfolding two small seats, one of which Yugi hopped gratefully up into, Ryou soon following and settling in the other.

"It's about two hours drive to the city." Seto explained as he slipped into the front passenger seat, the driver starting the engine and setting off.

"What about to the country?" Ryou asked, twisting in his seat to look out of the window behind him, scanning the vast desert planes for any sign of greenery.

"Country?"

"Yeah! Trees, grass, sounds of small birds in the hedgerows..."

Seto turned round in his seat, looking at Ryou as though he was insane

"...All that got wiped out Ryou... It couldn't survive without the ozone layer, it all died out, all the vegetation, all the animals, only the strongest could survive. That's why we're left with things like that wolf and the vultures; even desert animals had trouble surviving, over the past year and a half, so much has changed... so much has been destroyed... this world isn't what it once was."

Ryou stared back in shock.

"But... but me and Yugi are gonna buy a little cottage somewhere quiet! Somewhere peaceful and beautiful! The countryside can't all be destroyed! It just can't be!"

"It can and it has Ryou, just forget your little fantasies, the rest of us've had to."

The albino was quiet after that, giving a small smile when Yugi's hand found his, but otherwise, the rest of the journey was silent.

"What in the world...?" Yugi breathed as they cleared a small hill, several large domes coming into view over the horizon.

"That's the city."

"No way! People live in that! How can they breathe!"

"There's a ventilation system, and the oxygen levels and heat are carefully managed."

"I've just thought of something... with no vegetation and no animals worth eating by the sounds of things, how do we live?" Ryou muttered, still watching the huge domed city move towards them.

"There's a carefully balanced diet created inside, it's made sure that no one dies from malnutrition."

"Created...?"

"Stop asking questions, you'll see once you've lived here a little."

Minutes later doors opened admitting them, and soon after that, they stepped out, quickly being handed in to the care of a guard to get themselves registered as citizens. Once that was done, they were shown to their accommodation, then what was expected of them was explained by a bored looking man with a clipboard.

"You will leave for work at nine am; to get to your work station you simply follow those from your block. You will work 'til seven pm. At seven thirty dinner will be served, once again, move with your block, miss dinner and you won't be given another chance to eat until seven thirty the next morning, when breakfast will be served. Block lights are out at ten pm. Once every month you will sit a small test; if you fail this test, you will be removed from the facility and disposed of to prevent you dragging down society; we can not accommodate slackers or idiots. Clothes are in the wardrobe over there, bathroom there. I think that's everything. If you have any further questions ask another member of your block." The man's bored drone finally finished and he left; it was a few seconds before the pair looked around, not really believing their ears or eyes.

The room was small, and there was a two seated sofa and a small radio in one corner. One door leading off the room went to the bathroom, containing a sink, toilet and small shower. Off to the other side of the room they were in was a door leading to the bedroom, which consisted of two wardrobes, containing nothing but plain, boring, grey clothes, and two single beds.

"...It's as bad as the test centre..." Ryou mussed, running his fingers over the course materials.

"Lets go for a walk, maybe it's just this area."

Ryou was quick to agree to the suggestion, but after barely fifteen minutes, the pair were back, lying numbly on their beds, reflecting on their new life.

Outside were streets suspended over streets, buildings and machinery towering over them or sinking into the murky, polluted-looking depths below them. The whole city was a black grey, the only colour coming from the yellow-hued lamps providing light and the small flickering indicators on the machinery, and maybe the odd warning button somewhere, red to make it easily visible.

Ryou sighed dejectedly, looking over at Yugi who's eyes were closed, small, crystalline tears forming along his lashes. The albino felt his heart tare a little as he looked at his love, so small and fragile; he'd really thought he could protect him, give him what he deserved... but no, all Ryou'd done was move them from one hell hole to another.

"Yugi..." He said quietly, crawling off his own bed to get to the other, "I'm really sorry Yugi. I... I didn't know, I didn't mean for this-"

"It's ok." The smaller replied, opening his eyes to look at his Ryou, "I know you only wanted to help..."

"But... I was hoping to make your life perfect for you... I wanted to give you everything you wished for..."

"You already did."

"But..."

"You're here aren't you? We're not in the labs anymore are we? I love you Ryou, haven't you ever realised that? All I've ever wanted was your love..." Yugi shifted over a bit and held his arms open for Ryou. The albino was slightly shocked, but crawled up all the same, pulling Yugi close to him and tucking the smaller's head under his chin.

"I do love you Yugi, I always have and always will." He tilted Yugi's head up a little and gently pressed his lips to the soft petals below him.

Yugi let out a quiet sigh, and smiled up at Ryou as the kiss ended. It didn't matter where they were now. It didn't matter how cold the world outside was, nor the lives they now led. For Yugi, all that mattered were a few small words.

"I love you to Ryou."

Case-chan: Finished! Another fic complete! Thanks to Cloud135 for help at the end! He made it perfect! Or as perfect as it's gonna get Sweatdrops

Keisha: Don't you need to reply now? Or are you gonna forget again?

Case-chan: I didn't forget last time! messed up and deleted them!

Keisha: So just do the damn reviews already!

Case-chan: Yeah, yeah, am doing.

Replies: Chapter 4:

Mafdet-TK: ' Heh, well, I updated eventually, ne?

Elizabeth Aiken: Thanks! But that cliffie was just begging me to be left there!

dontmesswithYami: New test subject? Well you know that by now! ' It as Joey!

Pharaohs-slave: Well... I had actually written that chapter ages ago, I just had a load of shit stopping me posting it. . 

Tiger witch: ...yeah... the fuss with the rock is?

Chapter 5:

AnimePunk5243: lol Subway! My friend loves Subway! ' Random, I know.

Mental: ...err... evil cliffie cause there was? '

Pharaohs-slave: Man? Man! I'm a girl! ' Damn all these people who think I'm a guy. Grumbles But yeah, I know I'm evil!

Bluegrass Elf: More came... eventually.

Tiger witch: Blushes lightly I was feeling tricky... I didn't mean to get you mad...

Flame Swordswoman: heh, well you can't say I _didn't_ update...

Hiro.P: lol Sowwy. I made you scared. Sniffle But it is bassed on fact! They do treat animals like that in some labs!

Hikarinotenshi15: Yay! Thankus!

DojomistressAmbyChan: Yeah well, I do try to keep people interested, I'm not here to bore you all to sleep! I wouldn't get any reviews that way! Lol

Chapter 6:

It was half expected, I didn't get any. You people are mean! Sniffle But I guess I deserved it for not replying to reviews and not updating for ages like I really should cause I know how annoying it is when there aren't any updates to fics you like. ;;

Massive thanks to everyone who did review though! And thanks to all those people who waited for the updates and who threatened/showed concern towards/helped me so that this fic got finished and posted! I love you all really! (as friends of course)


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